Monday, March 30, 2015

Changes

Hello! I had to wake up pretty early on Thursday morning. We took a bus and then pick up other companions in Ciudad Quesada. Then we took an hour and 15min bus back again to the house.  On the way back, my comp  threw up,  soooo we had to get off and then take a taxi back. Once he felt better, we packed his bags because he has changes and then we went and bought some stuff at the pharmacy for him.  Then we took another bus to Ciudad Quesada again. Then from there we took a 3 hour and something bus to San Jose, then a taxi from there to the office.  
Things here are good I am actually going to be training a new missionary here alone. Right now I am with a mini missionary. things are good. We had a great meeting with Elder Maynes. I got to shake his hand and talk to him for  a bit. Nice guy! I also visited with Pres Duncan.   Elder Maynes is an apostle, on of the  members of the presidency of the 70's. So, I am going to be a trainer and  my  new comp. is Elder Amores, he is going to be my comp. for about 2 weeks. He is tico (means local) from San Jose. Sometimes its a challenge trying to focus in all these different things, but it's good and keeps me busy. I have fallen really behind in my journal though... really behind, because we have been busy. 

But anyways things here are good. We had a baptism planned for this weekend. we had the font all filled and everything the talks prepared by the members and then our baptism called and said that he didn't feel ready to be baptism in the last minute. I talked with him over the phone but he was still un-confident. but he said he was in his house. Soooo we took a 45 min trip to his house to talk with him and when we got there he wasn't there. sooo yeah we had to cancel the baptism, which was kind of a bummer and really weird because he has come to church with us 5 times in a row. and he didn't show up this week for church either...... but on the bright side. guess how many we had in church! 60! it was awesome and packed. The Lord really is doing everything here and helping the attendance in Pital. 

Well I love you guys and the work really is progressing rapidly here in Costa Rica in preparation for the Second coming of the Lord. Thanks a bunch you all for everything!

con amor, Elder Adams


Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Things here our good.   Changes happened this week, but nothing changed for us here--I am in Pital and  I am with Elder Acuna.  This week, and well past weeks as well we have been really focusing in on the less actives and recent converts. We have been able to find some less actives that haven't talked with missionaries in about 3 years. Our goal  was 10 less actives and recent converts every week and now the goal is 20. We had 21 this past week. The attendance was a tiny bit lower this week. We had 50 in the church building. 
              It's definitely a lot easier to feel the spirit in the house when the house is clean. We were able to organize some  things and the amazing members now have a schedule to start cleaning the church every Saturday. Pital is great and we are planning on having a baptism this coming Saturday, so we are pretty excited for that. We also have a meeting with Pres. Duncan this Friday in San Jose so that will be a fun adventure. I might be able to stop by the office and pick up that package, who knows. Anyways, yesterday I did some planning and I was really reminded of the importance of goals  and how we need to have goals to help mark our progress and to help push us to be better. The second thing is to have a plan to achieve those goals. I have many times in my life set goals and then forgotten to set the plan. It's like a train without tracks.  The plan is essential and then finally the action. Daily action of what  you are going to do to achieve that plan. 
Well have a great week and thanks for all the prayers and support! Happy St Patrick's Day!

Elder Adams

The picture below is of where the volcano in Turrialba is located.  Pital is located northward up from about the 5th gray triangle over from Turrialba.


Volcano in Turriabla

The current series of eruptions began March 8. It marked the second major eruption of Turrialba in the last five years. Prior to 2010, Turrialba last erupted 145 years earlier.

Ash from the eruptions fell over a 40-kilometer (20 miles) area, according to the Volcano-logical and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica. There was a concern that lava flowed from the volcano       and officials said super-heated rocks, not lava, have been thrown from it.
 
The prevailing winds are out of the east, which will blow any dust or ash toward the Pacific side of the country.
The volcano that was erupting on Thurs & Fri in Costa Rica has quieted today.
I am not any  near close this area, as Turrialba is east of San Jose and Pital is upward north from San Jose.  It is interesting history though.




 The scientists predict that it is just getting going and it could be a long haul, possibly months.  They say there is no danger, but it does make it interesting.




 

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Spring!

Here is a picture of Pres Wilkinson, Elder Acuna and me!  He is such a stalwart man!  He has had some health problems, but it stronger than ever spiritually!  I love this guy!


It's always great to be able to hear from you and hear a tint of the real you and your jokes haha! Thanks for always keeping up on the writing I know its probably a bit of a challenge. but guess what....... I GOT IT! I got the package full of love and candy and goodness. haha you should have seen me when I opened it haha my companion must think I am a crazy guy now. but thanks for the candy and especially for the portable hamper. I was thinking I needed one of those and then bam!   there it was. and for the ties! man it was great to finally get some new ties. 
Thanks Tayloranne--I love this one that you picked out!

We took everything out of our room and then we  put it all in the largest room so that we could clean all day on P day! Man that's a lot of stuff!   Believe me ---I definitely keep a cleaner house than this pic shows!




Oh an there are these parrots that are outside of our house.  They sure are pretty, but man do they not sound too great!  They squawk and squeak and it sounds worse than anyone I have heard sing off key.  I guess the Lord made them beautiful to look at, but believe they are better seen than heard.  ha ha.  
Sorry I didn't have much to write this week, but know that I am well and healthy and soo very happy!  I love it here!
Adios--
Elder Caleb M Adams

More pictures of the countryside here:

Lots and lots of rivers and streams here---they are everywhere!


Two story house--very rare here!

Green, Green, Green!

Can you see why I love it here???



Monday, March 9, 2015

Howdy from the land of rain!

       Well, howdy howdy!!! This week was good. One good miracle was on Sunday we woke up and it was raining.... and that wasn’t a good sign because usually when it is raining the members don't want to come. But I knew that the lord wouldn't let it rain unless it needed to rain or it was for a learning experience. Anyways I offered the prayer in our companionship. We asked that this would be an opportunity for the members to show their faith. Anyways we hit the streets at 7 am and started knocking doors and waking people up. Some people said no way, look at the weather, other said, oh wow its already Sunday? and some said maybe, we will see. But we walked around in the rain and don't people we would pass by at 8:30 to walk with them to the church. Some agreed. Well at 8:30, guess what happened. It stopped raining. completely stopped. We went and picked up all those who had been preparing and then we left to the church. Some said that they weren’t ready and we told them that it would probably start raining at 9 again. Well we went to the church and sure enough at 9 it started raining again. The meetings went great and guess what..... We had 51 in church!!! We broke the record of not having 50, we are planning for at least 60 next week. But I know that the Lord had his hand in the work.

I had some good opportunities to start teaching people how to read and write. It has been a good experience, We also had some meetings with the ward and the stake and things are for sure set. They are planning for the branch about two to three months They already have the limits drawn up. 
But man crazy experience, we were working in an area about 15 mins away by bus from Pital. and we finished the lesson and ran to the bus stop but we missed the bus so we said a prayer that everything would be okay and we started the 45 min walk to Pital hahaha well after walking for about 15 mins and stopping to use the bathroom in the jungle once. A pickup truck about the same size as mine drove by and my comp flagged him down with a flash light. There were a ton of chickens in the back in cages and all.  But long story short we ended up holding on to the chicken cages on the very back of the truck standing and we rode to Pital with our ties flapping in the wind at about 8:30 at night!  What a sight! haha 


-Su Amigo Elder Adams

Where's waldo???? Can you see me?  This     was our mutli-zone conference!  It was awesome!

Beautiful countryside!

Some of my wall art in mi casa here!  :o)


"I've been crunching some numbers"--just a   sample of our ever busy, awesome week!

Look Gramma A and Grandma B---the    packages arrived!  :o)  Thanks sooo much!

Look out---here comes Elder Adams with a machete!









Sunday, March 1, 2015

WOW---Pital will be a branch!


HELLO!!!
This is a picture that I drew and sent how to my family.  It is of my comp and I walking, in the rain of course.  We walk by a banana tree, pineapple field and the iguanas in the trees.  Typical day in Costa Rica.  :o)


So I have some news. We have been trying to work hard here and one thing I have been trying to work one is the communication with the leaders, because Pital has had a group for 9 years now and I have seen how missionaries have passed thorough and worked super super hard-- harder than me. But what Pital needs is leadership and order. With order and the right leaders, this group can become more than a group. Anyways the stake called us on Tuesday, and told us that they have decided to send a paper to start to make a BRANCH HERE IN PITAL!  It has been a good experience for me. I have had to call the stake president and ask for callings to be made and leadership to be put here.  Well,the funny thing is, is the Lord is doing a lot of that already. He is definitely helping Pital. This week we kicked this up a notch and focused a lot in the lost sheep and less actives. We called the secretary and had a list of every member sent to us and did a lot of highlighting and organizing and we found and visited a lot of less actives. 

The goal is to have 10 less actives or recent converts in the week and we were able to get 18 and 11 lessons with member and 11 with other investigators. 15 new investigators, we were able to have a good week with 40 lessons.  But numbers are not important, I wish that you could all see the names behind the numbers it means a lot more.  We keep super busy with teaching 40 lessons weekly.

I now understand a little bit better why God's house is a house of order. With order we can get things done so much more effectively. haha a lot of people have said to me why are you being so gringo because when they say they want to have an activity I always ask who's coming-- when and what are we doing? Anyways, life here is good and I hope that in 2 to 3 months Pital will have a different building and a branch. But we will see what happens because it is up to the members here as well if they want it  to work. 

Much Love--
Elder Caleb Adams  :)
Pital is full of lots of small streams and rivers that we cross every day, SEVERAL TIMES to get to where we need to go.  They are absolutely beautiful!
 Fruit tree by our home.  Notice the cat walking!  This has been our friend that climbs in our window at night and sleeps there and then meows for food in the am.  Made me think of you Tayloranne  :o)

Iguana going for a swim!

Just an example of the beautiful countryside in Pital